Not international, although it was to a US territory. I was able to book outbound, so I should have been able to book the return.

Every time I fly that airline, I have problems...this was the straw that broke the camel's back. You can mess with me and I will tolerate it, but don't you (airline generic you) dare threaten me and tell me that I need to "get over it", my child is "old enough to fly without me" and that I would just have to get to the airport hours before my flight to ensure I got a seat.

Perhaps they treat you better because you are in their loyalty program. But I would think with all their financial problems, they would want to treat ALL customers very well.

Logged

“If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.” — Catherine Aird

Not international, although it was to a US territory. I was able to book outbound, so I should have been able to book the return.

Every time I fly that airline, I have problems...this was the straw that broke the camel's back. You can mess with me and I will tolerate it, but don't you (airline generic you) dare threaten me and tell me that I need to "get over it", my child is "old enough to fly without me" and that I would just have to get to the airport hours before my flight to ensure I got a seat.

Perhaps they treat you better because you are in their loyalty program. But I would think with all their financial problems, they would want to treat ALL customers very well.

It could be that the US territory is considered 'international'. I could select my seats from Chicago to Finland, but not Finland to France on my trip from the US via Chicago to Finland to France or Finland back to the US. I called and it was explained to me it is for security purposes. Yet, when I just booked my flights to London, I was able to choose my seats. Was the flight from the territory via a US airport like Atlanta, then connecting ot another flight taking you to your final destination?

They were definitely wrong to make those comments to you, but the seat selection could have been an FAA rule or other security measure. You can't expect your seats to be pre-selected if it is part of the rules that you can't. The rules have to apply to everyone.

I am part of the loyalty programme, but I don't fly enough to earn any status. We get most of our points for free flights from credit cards.

This time I wasn't asked to change seats, I was about to offer to change seats.

It was a trans-Atlantic flight, so several hours long. When I got to my pre-booked aisle seat, the middle seat was occupied by a very, very tall man. Sitting in the window seat was his petite girlfriend.

People were still milling around getting settled, so I didn't say anything, but I was planning, once we were airborne, to offer the aisle seat to the guy, if his friend would move over and let me have the window seat. I figured he needed the extra leg room.

But then, while things were still in the boarding bustle, with flight attendants running up and down the aisles and people trying to find their seats, the guy started in on the poor flight attendants.

First, he could smell someone smoking a pipe. Now, smoking cigarettes was allowed on planes at the time, but not pipes. The FA told him no one was smoking a pipe. He very rudely insisted someone was, and the FA went off in the direction he pointed to check it out. She returned to tell him that no one was smoking at all on the plane. He swore at her and told her he could smell the smoke.

He flagged down two more FAs and made them check for the illusive pipe smoker. He also demanded something to drink before we took off and swore some more when he was told he'd have to wait until after take off.

By this point, I was sort of cowering in my seat, because he'd been talking to everyone over me, and leaning into my space. And there was no way in heck I was going to be nice to him and give up my aisle seat.

Not international, although it was to a US territory. I was able to book outbound, so I should have been able to book the return.

Every time I fly that airline, I have problems...this was the straw that broke the camel's back. You can mess with me and I will tolerate it, but don't you (airline generic you) dare threaten me and tell me that I need to "get over it", my child is "old enough to fly without me" and that I would just have to get to the airport hours before my flight to ensure I got a seat.

Perhaps they treat you better because you are in their loyalty program. But I would think with all their financial problems, they would want to treat ALL customers very well.

It could be that the US territory is considered 'international'. I could select my seats from Chicago to Finland, but not Finland to France on my trip from the US via Chicago to Finland to France or Finland back to the US. I called and it was explained to me it is for security purposes. Yet, when I just booked my flights to London, I was able to choose my seats. Was the flight from the territory via a US airport like Atlanta, then connecting ot another flight taking you to your final destination?

They were definitely wrong to make those comments to you, but the seat selection could have been an FAA rule or other security measure. You can't expect your seats to be pre-selected if it is part of the rules that you can't. The rules have to apply to everyone.

I am part of the loyalty programme, but I don't fly enough to earn any status. We get most of our points for free flights from credit cards.

Defend and make excuses for the airline all you want. If they had told me any of this I wouldn't have had an issue, but they didn't. I've flown in and out of Puerto Rico in the past and always been able to book my seat in advance. I really do feel the customer service of AA is AWEFUL, unhelpful, and not customer friendly. Other airlines (not surprisingly that are not in financial troubles) seem to offer better services. So, I will gladly take my business elsewhere from now on.

Logged

“If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.” — Catherine Aird

Yes. I also fly a lot. I meant after checking in online. You can't change your seats ONLINE after you have checked in. You have to do it at the airport. This is why it is important to choose yoir seats as far in advance as possible. I was responding to the person who complained te airline wouldn't change her seats until the airport.

I had never checked in, so that wouldn't apply. I couldn't select seats when I booked, I couldn't select seats during the 7 weeks prior to our flight, I couldn't select seats two days before my flight. We checked in AT the airport because I didn't want to check in without guaranteed seats. I promise I'm not ignorant of how airlines work. This was NOT normal. I've never had this much trouble getting assigned seats before a flight. I feel like they just do not care about decent customer service and will be voting with my feet and my $$$$ by never flying with them again. I can see why they are failing.

It might have been a code share flight and it was operated by a different airline. I run into not being able to select seats on code shares, but that is they only time. But if I buy a United airlines ticket but the flight is actually on a US Airways flight, I can't preselect seats via the United website nor can I get assigned seats by calling United.

On international flights you can go to the other airline and book your seats. Typically you are given another confirmation number for the code share airline. I do this a lot with AA/BA flights and DL/KLM flights. I don't remember if that is the case on domestic flights

Not international, although it was to a US territory. I was able to book outbound, so I should have been able to book the return.

Every time I fly that airline, I have problems...this was the straw that broke the camel's back. You can mess with me and I will tolerate it, but don't you (airline generic you) dare threaten me and tell me that I need to "get over it", my child is "old enough to fly without me" and that I would just have to get to the airport hours before my flight to ensure I got a seat.

Perhaps they treat you better because you are in their loyalty program. But I would think with all their financial problems, they would want to treat ALL customers very well.

It could be that the US territory is considered 'international'. I could select my seats from Chicago to Finland, but not Finland to France on my trip from the US via Chicago to Finland to France or Finland back to the US. I called and it was explained to me it is for security purposes. Yet, when I just booked my flights to London, I was able to choose my seats. Was the flight from the territory via a US airport like Atlanta, then connecting ot another flight taking you to your final destination?

They were definitely wrong to make those comments to you, but the seat selection could have been an FAA rule or other security measure. You can't expect your seats to be pre-selected if it is part of the rules that you can't. The rules have to apply to everyone.

I am part of the loyalty programme, but I don't fly enough to earn any status. We get most of our points for free flights from credit cards.

Defend and make excuses for the airline all you want. If they had told me any of this I wouldn't have had an issue, but they didn't. I've flown in and out of Puerto Rico in the past and always been able to book my seat in advance. I really do feel the customer service of AA is AWEFUL, unhelpful, and not customer friendly. Other airlines (not surprisingly that are not in financial troubles) seem to offer better services. So, I will gladly take my business elsewhere from now on.

I'm not defending them, nor am I making excuses.....it is pretty rude to imply my suggestions are excuses. I am offering legitimate reasons why you could not preselect your seat. I already said they were rude for the other things. No need to be so snotty.

On international flights you can go to the other airline and book your seats. Typically you are given another confirmation number for the code share airline. I do this a lot with AA/BA flights and DL/KLM flights. I don't remember if that is the case on domestic flights

Nope. Not in my experience. I flew Chicago/ Helsinki/Paris. The flight from Helsinki to Paris was on finnair, a codeshare for AA. My flights all were listed as AA flights. I could preselect my seats Chicago to Helsinki, but it would not let me on the Helsinki to Paris side, nor would it let me returning from Helsinki to Chicago.

When my dad and I had to go to Europe eith very little notice- his eldest brother had had a stroke and he was in bad shape- a few years ago we flew Tucson-Chicago-Frankfurt. Since my dad had to make the reservations in a hurry he went to a travel agent. Who was unable to book seats for us from Tucson to Chicago. When we got to the airport it was explained that X number of seats are held back to be assigned at the airport and we fell into that group.

We lucked out and got bulkhead.

But people do book last minute and it isn't always poor planning as I've seen suggested. My uncle certainly didn't plan to have a stroke. Emergencies happen.

Yes, you are right about that. The problem is, many people are SS and expect a premium seat or that the rules don't apply to them, like the man who refused to move. If you have to book last minute in an ER situation, you general cannot expect a prime seat.

Is she a redhead? I got that kind of attention growing up too. Good for you for protecting her from it!

She has waist length strawberry blonde hair that we take very good care of. It shines red gold in sunlight.

Oh boy, my DH is going to have to get his shotgun ready. DD1 just turned 2 and has strawberry blond hair.

It seems to be a problem for redheads. We are unusual and people seem drawn to the unusual (in this case). As a child, I got the gamut from being called names because of my hair color to unwanted touching because of it.

A friend of mine decided to play plane politics with one of those discount-no-seats-assigned airlines. They were flying with 5 kids and 4 adults. The baby was flying on her lap, the rest were primary school aged but very well flown for their ages. Most passengers had boarded when she walked on with her kids (and her husband, I'm not sure the relationship to the two other adults). There were only single seats remaining, so instead of asking people to move she pointed out seats to her kids and asked them to sit and behave themselves for the (relatively short) flight. Suddenly people were jumping all over themselves to move so that an adult could sit with each child.

The friend said she was willing to let the children sit by themselves since they were regular flyers who knew how to behave and 'it's not like they can get off the plane'. I never decided if it was evil genius or just plain rude of her.

The friend said she was willing to let the children sit by themselves since they were regular flyers who knew how to behave and 'it's not like they can get off the plane'. I never decided if it was evil genius or just plain rude of her.

I admit that I can't see the possible rudeness here no matter how hard I look. Or the evil genius either, really....but I *really* don't see any rudeness.

The friend said she was willing to let the children sit by themselves since they were regular flyers who knew how to behave and 'it's not like they can get off the plane'. I never decided if it was evil genius or just plain rude of her.

I admit that I can't see the possible rudeness here no matter how hard I look. Or the evil genius either, really....but I *really* don't see any rudeness.

sounds as if she knew that it might be difficult to gets seats together so was willing to take whatever seats were left